Jax's phone makes the tell-tale sound of an incoming text and he quickly pulls it from his pocket to read over the message on his screen. It's from Tara, just like he predicted it would be, and he texts her back before tucking the phone away and turning his attention to his sons once again. "Hey boys, mama says dinner's almost ready. That means it's time to go."
"Just one more time, Dad," Abel says, making his way back toward the slide with a playful smile on his lips.
Thomas follows right behind him, his smaller frame is not as fast as his big brothers just yet, when he yells back over his shoulder just like Abel did. "Me too, one more time, Daddy."
"Fine." Jax holds up one finger, trying to sound stern when he says. "Once more, that's it."
Abel makes his descent down the slide, with Thomas right behind, and true to their word they hurry back, both boys grabbing onto the outstretched hand of their father when they reach his side as they start walking back toward the truck together.
"I'm pretty hungry," Abel says, looking up at Jax. "Are you hungry too, Dad?"
"I'm starvin' like Marvin," Jax says, making the boys laugh with the expression. They've had a good time here and seem especially easily amused today.
"I'm starvin' Marvin too."Thomas chimes in giggling, making Abel laugh again with him, just as they reach the truck.
Jax starts the truck to get the heater going, and then both boys climb inside on their own, like usually refusing any help from their father, so Jax simply stands by and waits until they're both in their seats, and he's allowed to help Thomas with the seatbelt at last.
He shuts their door, then climbs into his seat and puts the truck in gear, his eyes checking each mirror before he looks over his shoulder and begins to back out of his parking spot. He slowly begins the drive down the winding gravel road that leads to the exit of the park and back to the main road, when he suddenly sees her standing there up ahead.
He does a double take since it has begun to get dark already, thinking for a second that his mind is playing tricks on him, but even in the approaching dusk there's no doubt that it is her. His ex. Wendy Case.
He hates that he does it, but he can't stop the involuntary look over his shoulder at Abel in the backseat, it's instinctual really, and then actually witnesses the moment his oldest son spots her standing there as well, much to his displeasure.
Even in the dim lighting of the truck, Jax can see Abel's blue eyes shining wide in surprise when recognition registers with him, even though his small voice sounds unsure when he asks out loud. "Is that ... Wendy, Daddy?"
But Jax doesn't answer him though, his jaw clenching while he simply ignores him and drowns him out, because his mind is suddenly bombarded with a million questions of his own at once. Why is she here? How did she know we were at the park? Did she already talk to Tara, is that how she knew where we were? What the fuck does she want now?
Wendy raised her hand in a shy wave as if she actually heard Abel's questioning outburst of her name, but the heater was on full blast, the windows were all the way up, and even if they weren't, she was still too far ahead that it'd be impossible for her to have heard him.
And it's in that moment though, at the thought of Abel and Wendy actually interacting with one another, that he makes the decision to simply not do this. To not allow her to throw a wrench in the rest of their otherwise near-perfect weekend with her sudden reappearance. Not now, not today, he won't allow her to ruin his good mood, and most importantly not Tara's either. Wendy can go back to whatever hole she's crawled out of!
Fuck it! Jax meets her eyes for just a second, letting her know he's seen her, but then returns his focus back on the road and simply drives on, not accelerating per se, but not slowing down either, and he can see the realization and disbelieve that he's not going to stop for her register across her face before he has even passed her by.
He's been so focused on her standing there, and his own thoughts and questions in his head that he hasn't paid much mind to the babbling of the boys that has erupted in the backseat behind him, at least not until Abel's words suddenly register with him in the same instant he's driving right passed her. "She's craaaaaaazzzzzy, Tommy, Mommy said so."
"What?" The question flies out of Jax's mouth without giving it another thought, his foot easing off of the gas now and his eyes connecting with Abel's in the rearview mirror. "What are you talking about?"
"One time Wendy said she's my Mommy, and Mommy said she's crazy." He explains smiling, and then laughs out loud along with his brother.
Jax stomps down on the brake, the truck coming to an abrupt stop, jostling everything and everyone forward with the sudden motion, and the boys' laughter dies down instantly. He looks back over his shoulder at once, back at Abel, not wanting to believe he actually heard his son right just now, and barks out his question. "She said what?"
Abel shrugs his shoulders innocently, as if this isn't a big deal, but the stern voice and hardened expression on his father's face have already erased his smile. "Mommy said -."
"Not Mommy." Jax interrupts him mid-sentence, sounding much harsher than he intends to, but his pulse is picking up as he tries to wrap his mind around what his son has just revealed to him. "I'm talking about Wendy. What did Wendy say?"
Abel looks over at his brother for just a second, regret now filling his little features, thinking he might be in trouble now, and Jax's stern voice doesn't ease his worries when his father demands him to focus back on him and answer again. "Abel, what did Wendy say?"
"She ... she said she is my Mommy, but -." Abel starts but is interrupted again when Jax curses out loud and hits the steering wheel in anger. "Damn it."
The boys are instantly quiet without being told, sensing their father's anger when he throws the gear in reverse at once, his right hand clutching the passenger seat as he twists to look back over his shoulder and backs the truck up with twice the speed than he'd been driving forward just a moment ago.
Gravel flies as he stomps the brakes once again, coming to a stop right behind Wendy's still parked car, making it impossible for her to leave now even if she tried, and catching her off guard too since she'd already opened her door and was just about to climb back inside.
Jax looks back and forth between his sons as he speaks, his voice eerily calm now, restrained, not wanting to let them catch on to just how furious he is, even though he knows that he's already failed miserably at that. They know. "You guys stay in the truck, in your seats and buckled up, while I talk to Wendy for a moment." His eyes drift to Abel and stay there. "You're the oldest, so I expect you to make sure Tommy stays put. You got that?"
"Okay," Abel replies, clearly confused and unsure of what is happening, but he nods his head regardless and agrees. "I'll watch Tommy, Daddy."
Jax turns the dial to turn the radio on, hurriedly finding a station that plays some rock and turns the volume up, before he quickly climbs out and slams the door shut behind him. He rounds the back of his truck and stalks toward Wendy, all the while silently vowing to himself to not lose his cool completely with his boys there to witness it all. Because Tara won't like that!
"Jax, I -." Wendy is just about to say something, but then flinches back a step when the look in his eyes registers with her and she realizes just how angry he is as he approaches further. She ends up backed into and cornered between the car and the already open door. Every thought vanishes at once, the fear and memory of the last time he looked at her like that, right after he'd thrown her against a wall and shot her up with crank, freezes her to the spot.
Jax is seething, practically caging her in with one hand against the side of her car and the other curling around the edge of her open door, stopping just a foot away from her, close enough that she can easily see the veins bulging in his neck and peaking out beneath his beanie at his temples, looking like they might burst at any second. His voice isn't loud, obvious so his sons won't hear this, but the tone is so menacing that it sends a shiver down Wendy's spine at once when he asks, or rather accuses her. "You told him you're his mom?"
Shit! She had not expected their conversation to start out like this, about this, and it honestly blind-sides her for a moment, leaving her mind and tongue incapable of forming a coherent sentence in response to even trying to defend herself.
"Did you?" Jax asks again, clearly impatient, although he can already see the flicker of guilt in her eyes before she even answers him, confirming that what Abel has just told him is the truth, but he presses on regardless, wanting to hear it from her. "Did you tell my son that you're his mother?"
"I was ... It wasn't like that, Jax." She stammers for a moment, still struggling to find the right words. "She just ... Tara just showed up at Gemma's place and pulled a gun ... on Wayne and me. She took Abel, and I ... I panicked, okay? I didn't know where she was going, or if I'd ever see him again, and -."
"You had no right -." Jax interrupts her, venom in his voice still.
"No right? He's my son." She interrupts him right back, her own anger suddenly helping her find her voice again more clearly, taking him by surprise with her unusual display of bravery toward him. "I needed him to know that."
But despite the matching venom in her voice, Jax seems undeterred, his eyes flashing angrily back at her even as he's mocking her by repeating her sentiment right back in her face. "You needed him to know that? What about what he needs, huh? Did you ever give a shit about that? Cause if you truly did, you'd realize that he sure as shit doesn't need a mother like you in his life." He pauses and she remains quiet too while he's eyeing her like prey, his chest heaving as he tries to reign in his anger. "I warned you to never threaten my family again."
Panic suddenly rises in her again and she quickly speaks up. "I'm not trying to -."
"Shut up." He interrupts her with his harsh outburst of demands. "Get in your car, get the fuck out of here, and don't come back." He stares at her for another long moment, an unspoken threat in his eyes before he turns on his heels and starts to walk away. The swagger of his that she used to love and find so attractive is irritating her now more than she ever thought possible.
"And if I don't? What are you gonna do?" Wendy's voice isn't any louder than his was, but the challenging tone of hers takes him by surprise, causing him to turn back around to meet her eyes again just when she takes a step toward him now too.
Her eyes flicker behind him to his truck before they land back on him again, when she says. "You gonna give your sons a front-row seat to how the Club handles women that step out of line? You gonna knock me around, set me straight, right here in front of them?"
"Don't test me, Wendy. I'm warning you." He grinds out, his jaw ticking with suppressed rage as he stares her down, challenging her right back. He doesn't even want to do any of this arguing in front of them, doesn't want anything to do with her at all, but everything that has happened, everything unresolved between them seems to be coming to a head here and now, with her showing up uninvited in their lives like this again.
They stare at each other in a silent challenge, until Wendy can't take it any longer and averts her eyes from his first, shaking her head in disbelief at the unexpected turn of events after she'd decided to approach Jax before he left the park.
She'd been so stupid, sitting here in her car and daydreaming about happier moments long gone. So lost in wishing to be the one he held in his arms and kissed senselessly, that she'd somehow forgotten or maybe simply suppressed how badly he'd treated her the last few times they'd come face to face. She should've seen this coming, should've known he wouldn't want her here now any more than he did back then.
And even though she knew it wouldn't be easy, never in a million years had she pictured it turning out this bad, hissing accusations and insults at each other with Abel and Thomas watching from the backseat of his truck. This isn't what she wants. This isn't why she came here. Jesus Christ, how did we get here?
In a last-ditch effort, she fights to leave the anger out of her voice and tries to approach him differently. Calmer, apologetic even."Shit, Jax, this isn't how this was supposed to go."
He scoffs, shaking his head at her, and daring a glance behind him toward the truck, noting the captive audience they seem to have, but glad that the music is loud enough to ensure they can't actually hear what is being said between Wendy and him. "How exactly did you think this would play out? I mean, Jesus, your timing is still truly impeccable, I give you that." His voice oozed sarcasm. "Tara's hand gets crushed, and less than twenty-four hours later you decide to confront her while she's still in a hospital bed." He swipes a hand down his face in disbelief before he carries on. "Did you know that she smashed her hand again? They had to reset it again, and sedate her after, because of you showing up and fucking with her head at the worst possible time."
"I'm sorry, I didn't -." Wendy tries to interject.
But Jax cuts her off, his voice steely again as he shakes his head at her. "I'm not done. Then she gets attacked in our own home, ends up in a coma, and for some unfathomable reason you think it's the perfect time to check yourself back out of rehab, and act like you actually give a shit about her, about them." He gestures with his hand over his shoulder toward the boys in the truck, the meaning clear, before he adds. "Just to make another play at me."
"That's not true. I did care. I still do." Wendy interrupts him now trying to defend herself, and knocks down that overinflated ego of his, even if he isn't completely wrong in his assumption. "I was horrified when I heard what happened, and I just wanted to be there for Abel, and Thomas too. I just wanted to help them, and help you, all of you."
"Right. You just wanted to help." Jax nods mocking her, his voice full of disgust when he carries on. "You're so full of shit. Just admit that with Tara out of the way, you thought you stood a chance to weasel your way back into our lives."
Embarrassment floods her entire being at the thought that he'd been able to see right through her back then when he'd so cold-heartedly turned her down, and she finds herself thankful that she's never been one to flush easily, or her cheeks would be flaming red right now, giving her away.
But before she can straighten out her thoughts enough to find the right words to respond and try to convince him that what he said isn't true, he's already talking again. His voice is low and accusatory. "Let me ask you something? Were you in on it? Were you helping my Mom when she tried to kill Tara in the hospital?"
"Jesus Christ, Jax, of course not." She shakes her head vehemently in rebuttal, her eyes widening in outrage.
But Jax still isn't done yet, carries on as if she hadn't uttered a single word in defense. "You and my Mom were suddenly thick as thieves. What did she promise you, huh? Did she actually convince you that I'd take you back if Tara was gone for good?" He raises his eyebrows at her in question as if he actually expects her to answer him. But Wendy's still too stunned by the accusation to even find her voice, simply shaking her head at him in both denial and disbelief that he might really think she'd be capable of murdering the woman who's been raising her child all this time. Does he really think she'd be that cruel, that evil?
"And now that everyone knows it was Gemma who tried to kill her, here you are again, on this side of the fence. I guess I should've seen this coming, after all, it's your MO to crawl back out of the woodwork when you see an opening, like the opportunistic junkie that you've always been." He says, shaking his head at her in utter disgust.
At that, Wendy snaps out of her stupor and finds her voice again, loud and strong when she finally goes on the defensive. The angry words flowed out of her on their own accord, from the deepest darkest crevices where she still holds a grudge against them both. "You know what I think, Jax? I think you're still hurt and angry that she betrayed you, that your own wife tried to take your sons away from you, and that she'd asked me to help her. But since you can't possibly be mad at your precious Tara, you're deflecting all of that hate and anger onto me instead."
He scoffs and can't help but shake his head at her in disbelief, because he knows deep down that what she's accusing him of couldn't be further from the truth. It had taken him a moment, but he had seen the light at last, and even though her methods were questionable and hurt him, he knows that Tara trying to get the boys out was the right thing to do, and he also knows that the hatred he feels toward Wendy has nothing to do with any of that. The whole truth is that even though Wendy has played the part of the victim down to a science, she no longer fools him and he can finally see her for what she really is. Selfish, conniving, and weak!
"Don't you dare make this about her. This has nothing to do with Tara or what she tried to do, but has everything to do with you, and I can see you now for what you really are." He hisses back at her, not surprised when she presses her lips together in a frown and doesn't have a witty or catty comeback this time.
There is no doubt that he had been a shitty boyfriend and an even shittier husband to her right from the start, so it wasn't hard for him to take the blame when she turned to the needle time and again after all the countless times he'd failed her throughout their relationship.
The first small glimpse he got of the real her though, was her deceiving him in the midst of their reconciliation. When he'd outright asked her if she was still on birth control as she had been throughout their marriage, she'd lied straight to his face and ultimately ended up pregnant with Abel on purpose, obviously thinking with a child in the mix she could tie him down for good. But instead, her deception had the opposite effect, he hated her when she'd told him, had angrily called things off with her yet again, and continued to follow through with the divorce proceedings after all.
So then after she'd started using again while pregnant, causing Abel's premature birth, and then tried to overdose, he once again took the responsibility on himself, blaming himself for the way he'd treated her.
It wasn't until he and Tara got back together on the day of Donna's funeral, that he really began to see Wendy's true colors shining true. He still remembers the conversation he had with her back at the house later that evening, reassuring her that just because he was with Tara now, it wouldn't change the role she played in Abel's life, that she was his mother, just like he'd promised her in the conversation they've had before.
But then Wendy took him by complete surprise when she said she didn't want to be some kind of third wheel, that she wanted to do this with him, as a couple, raising Abel together as a family, or not at all. And with those words destroyed even the last remaining doubts about why she'd gotten pregnant in the first place.
It hadn't been an accident, and it hadn't been about having a child and wanting to be a mother, or even being a family either. No, Abel had simply been a means to an end for her, a way to tie herself permanently to him through an innocent soul, a small defenseless child that she then willingly walked away from the moment she realized she couldn't use him to manipulate her way back into neither Jax's heart nor bed. It had been eye-opening for him to say the least.
"Why are you here?" He suddenly blurts out, stepping even closer again, looking menacing like before when he wonders out loud. "Did you think Tara and I would split because of Gemma? Over what she did? That I'd turn to you if you showed your face?"
He shakes his head at her, a humorless chuckle escaping his lips when he adds. "You're wasting your time, darlin', there's not a chance in hell that'll happen. So why don't you do us both a favor and get the hell outta here, fucking leave." The last words a sneer from his lips.
Wendy's looking menacing herself when she steps closer toward him now, hating the arrogance in his voice when he is implying she's here for him again, but then catches him by surprise when she replies. "I came here to help you with Gemma's trial, to tell you about Juice."
"Juice?" Jax repeats the name like a curse, raising his eyebrows and scrunching his forehead in confusion, while searching her face to see if she's telling the truth, and it's obvious that this is the last thing he'd expected her to say. "What are you talking about?"
But they're interrupted by the ringing of Jax's cell phone before Wendy can so much as open her mouth to answer him. He quickly pulls it out of his pocket, not surprised to see Tara's name flash across the screen when it dawns on him that she's been waiting for them to come home, just as he answers the call and raises the phone to his ear.
"Hey, Babe." He says, impressing Wendy how he manages to change his tone of voice to one of devotion with such ease for the woman on the other end of the line. "I know, sorry." He continues, his eyes meeting Wendy's once more when he adds. "I ran into someone I know, and lost track of time. But I'm leaving right now. Love you."
He hangs up a moment later, stowing the phone back away, and meets her eyes again, not a second to spare. "What do you know about Juice?"
"Not here, not like this." She gestures toward the boys in the truck, yet doesn't miss the way his face distorts again in mistrust and anger, but it doesn't stop her from sticking to her original plan.
"Wendy." He says her name like a warning, urging her to not drag this out, his patience stretched too thin already.
But she wants to meet with Tara herself, because she knows the other woman is who she really needs to win over to make any headway here. "I know Tara's waiting and you gotta go, but I wanna meet with both of you, and then I'll tell you everything I know. I swear, Jax."
But when he doesn't say anything in reply, she finds herself studying his face before she asks. "You are gonna tell her I'm here, right?"
Jax shakes his head in disbelief at her audacity, looking back over his shoulder at the boys before he turns his attention back to her. "Not like I can keep it from her either way." He admits that he's got no choice but to burden Tara with Wendy's visit, knowing either of the boys is likely to spill the beans as soon as they step into the apartment.
Frustrated, yet without an outlet, he suddenly turns without another word and starts walking back toward the truck, but Wendy cries out his name to stop him. "Jax? I'm not lying."
He pauses just long enough to look back over his shoulder to meet her eyes when he says. "We'll see. I'll talk to Tara. Don't show up like this again, or you'll regret it. I'll reach out if we're interested in what you have to say."
"You don't even have my number." She points out, but he doesn't reply and she's honestly not even sure if he's heard her, because he just continues to walk away and climbs in his truck without so much as another glance in her direction.
She stands frozen in place, watching with bated breath as the truck starts rolling and drives away, suddenly second-guessing her decision to reach out to Jax first. She could've very easily followed Tara home earlier, when the other woman headed home on foot by herself, but her inner stupid girl that still held a torch for him even after everything he's done, had talked her out of it. Big mistake!
X
They all step through the apartment door, the boys still full of energy as they jump up and down in excitement while they're peeling out of their jackets, hats, and gloves, when Tara steps out of the kitchen to greet them. "Hey, boys."
"Hi, Mommy." They reply in almost perfect unison.
She runs her hands through their tousled hair, before she bends down and picks up their things when she says. "Go wash up, dinner's getting cold."
"Okay." and "Yeah." are their replies, before they both start running down the hall toward the bathroom to wash their hands.
"Abel, help Thomas reach the soap, please." Tara calls after them, waiting for his "Okay," before she turns her attention back to Jax.
"Hi, Daddy." She says teasingly, stepping closer and leaning in for a quick peck on the lips.
"Hey, Babe." He replies with a smile, and then takes the boys' things from her hands to hang them on the hooks right behind him real quick.
"Sorry it took so long." He adds, contemplating yet again if he should tell her now or wait at least until after dinner, while he steps up right behind her, his hands caressing over the curve of her hips as he follows her into the kitchen.
"It's okay." She mumbles under her breath, stepping over to the table while he steps up to the kitchen sink. He's pushing the sleeves of his shirt up on his forearms to wash his hands, when Tara makes the decision for him with her question. "Who did you run into?"
Her tone is light, happy, and carefree, and he hates the fact that within seconds he's going to be the reason she won't feel like that any longer. But he knows it's better she hears it from him now, instead of in a random comment from Abel or even Thomas when they all sit down at the table in a couple of minutes to eat.
He pulls a clean kitchen rag from a drawer, drying his hands as he turns around and meets her eyes, and his face must be giving something away already, at least judging by the way she stops filling the kids' plates and stares back at him instead. "What?" She asks, her voice sounding already unsure and worried. "Who was it?" She asks again.
He steps toward her at once, reaching out for her hands and raising them to his lips for a kiss, one after the other, but what is meant as a comforting gesture only seems to further contour her face in worry, so he quickly answers her. Her name was barely a whisper from his lips. "Wendy."
"Wendy?" Tara repeats, scrunching her eyebrows together in a mixture of confusion and concern, before her eyes flicker toward the door to the living room for just a split second, undoubtedly listening to if the boys are on their way back yet.
But before she can even ask anything else, he grabs her by her shoulders and pulls her into him, his arms wrapping securely around her back and holding her tight, his mouth by her ear as he explains further. "Don't worry, Babe. She said she's here about Juice, wants to sit down with us both to tell us something, said it'd help us."
Tara pulls back to meet his eyes, even more confused than a moment ago. "Juice? Do you believe her?"
"I don't know." He admits, daring a glance at the living room just like she had, but then can't bite his tongue another second longer and comes out with the question that's been on his mind since he'd left Wendy behind in a cloud of dust at the park. His voice is low in a whisper, but his eyes are already searching hers for an explanation. "Why didn't you tell me Wendy told Abel she's his mother?"
"She told you?" Tara whispers back in disbelief.
"No." Jax shakes his head, before he clarifies. "Abel did."
"He remembers?" She asks, and when Jax nods his head tears well in her eyes instantly, and even though she quickly wipes them away as they fall, he immediately wishes he could take the question back again. The only tears he'd wanted her to shed were the kind caused by too much laughter. "Fuck." He curses under his breath, one hand curling behind her head, holding her in place when he presses his lips to her forehead in a kiss. "I'm sorry, Babe." He says ruefully, before pulling her back into his arms again.
A few moments later the boys are laughing out loud as they come running down the hallway, and despite everything, Jax's and Tara's eyes meet again and a small smile appears on both their faces at the joyful sound echoing through the apartment. It's like music to their ears.
"We'll talk when they're in bed," Jax says with a nod, wiping his thumbs beneath Tara's eyes to dry the last of her tears, and is relieved when she nods her head in agreement back at him.
Then they both turn their attention to their sons, their voices overly cheery to not let on to their sons that anything might be off, helping them settle down in their chairs, and fix their plates so they all can finally start to eat dinner together.
Jax meets her eyes across the table a few moments later, mouthing the words "I love you" to her without making a sound, shooting her wink at the same time, and she can't help but smile at the gesture before she mouths the same words to him in reply a second later.
X
Tara's hand is holding tightly onto Jax's, her high-heeled boots clicking rhythmically on the pavement as she tries to keep up with his bigger strides. They finally come to a stop in front of Wendy's motel room door, and she finds Jax looking down at her once more and squeezing her hand that's still in his. A small gesture to reassure her or maybe to reassure himself that they are doing the right thing by giving Wendy the chance to explain what she drove all the way up here to tell them.
Jax raps his knuckles against the door, and they can both hear the unmistakable rustling of someone on the other side while they're waiting to be let in. Finally, the door opens and Wendy comes into view, stepping out of the way to let the couple enter, Jax ushers Tara ahead of him, his hand resting on the small of her back, even though his eyes are rather cautiously taking in the room they're entering.
"Hi." Tara is the first to speak up, and even offers the hint of a friendly smile, despite her still lingering feelings of disdain toward the other woman. Jax however seems to have a frown permanently carved onto his face now, not even trying to hide how he feels when he merely nods his head in greeting at his ex.
Wendy replies with a simple "Hey," in return, and it doesn't go unnoticed by either of them just how nervous she seems, they even share a knowing look between them when the blonde turns away from them to shut the door again behind them.
No faux pleasantries are being exchanged, because, unlike Tara, Jax has no time nor patience for niceties, he knows exactly what he came here for tonight, leaving no doubt about it in his behavior that he wants to get this done and over with as quickly as possible.
The tone in his voice is bad-tempered when he gets straight to the reason why they're all here. "We're here, both of us, like you asked. So get on with it and tell us what you know about Juice that could help our case."
"Right." Wendy clears her throat, jutting her chin in the direction of a couple of chairs in the small room. "You guys want to sit."
"Wendy." Jax grinds her name out in warning, urging her to hurry this thing along, while Tara can't help but shoot her an apologetic smile on behalf of him and the way he's acting.
"Okay." She practically snaps back at him though, raising her palms in a gesture of surrender, before she leans back against one of the dressers in the room.
Jax and Tara do the same across from her, him slinging his arm around her back, tugging her to his side as they're waiting while Wendy seems to gather her thoughts.
Finally, the blonde seems to jump right in and begins to tell her side of the story. How she'd left rehab early after Tara's attack to offer her help with the boys. How Gemma had the keys to her place, and how she had found Juice hiding out in her apartment when she got home. She goes on to tell them that Gemma had been the one to allow Juice to stay there in her absence, helping him hide from the Club. After she'd demanded to have her place back to herself, Gemma had moved him into a motel, before eventually helping him get even farther away from the area, where exactly though, she's not sure.
"That's it?" Jax asks, startling Wendy with his biting tone, throwing his hands up in disbelief. "How the fuck is any of that supposed to help convict Gemma? Just the word of a junkie with no actual proof to back any of this up?" He looks down at Tara, searching her eyes to see if she agrees with him.
Tara nods, folding her arms in front of herself as her eyes meet Wendy's across the room again. "I'm sorry to say, Wendy, but he's right." She agrees with Jax, although unlike him, her voice is sympathetic to what she'd tried to do. "It will be your word against hers, and quite honestly, even if they believe you, it doesn't prove that they worked together, or attacked me together ..." Tara shakes her head, and shrugs her shoulders. "Him hiding from the Club at your place, it really doesn't prove anything ... at all, pertaining to my case."
"I know." Wendy finally speaks up before Jax can even start his next angry outburst. "But there's more."
She quickly steps over to the table, opens her laptop, pulls up, and logs into her email while she continues to explain. "Yesterday, I got an email from an unknown sender. I almost deleted it without opening it, if it hadn't been for the subject line that read, 'Play this for Jax."
She looks back at the couple behind her, who also share a look with each other before they step forward to watch the video that's starting to play on the screen.
Juice appears on the screen, his face so close that it seems distorted at first, but then he seems to sit back a bit further and his features take on a more naturally proportioned look.
Jax and Tara's eyes are glued to the screen, their fingers intertwining again between them, clasping each other's hands when they begin to watch Juice as he clears his throat before he begins to speak. "I scheduled this email to be sent out at a later date, to ease my guilty conscience, so if you get this, it means that I'm already gone. But I wanted you to know that I'm truly sorry about what happened to Tara, and Jax. I need you to know that, before I confess the events of what happened that day."
He clears his throat again, his face taking on a stoic expression right before he finally begins to talk again. "I went to your house that night. Looking for Gemma, like you'd asked. I was still trying to wrap my head around what you'd said to me. About betraying you. I met Eli out front. He was waiting on Tara. Then we heard a crash, and Eli ran into the house. I followed."
His face grimaced with emotions. "Tara was on the floor. Eli checked her pulse. She appeared to be dead. The place was trashed. She must've gotten in a brawl with Gemma. Gemma was on the floor too, freaked out, and covered in blood. Eli was about to call it in. I killed him."
He pauses again, sighing deeply. "We needed to put the kill on someone. The way she'd attacked her. So brutal. It felt gangland. I didn't want it to come down on Brown and Nero. So I told Gemma to use the Chinese. Together we came up with a story. A story your mom never got to tell. Because Eli was wrong, Tara was still alive. Tara is still alive." He corrects his final statement, averting his eyes from the camera.
When he looks back up, his eyes are watering, a single tear trickling down his cheek. "If I had known she was still alive, I would've tried to save her, you have to know that too. I just didn't know. But I hope she pulls through. I hope she wakes up again."
Juice shakes his head again, before he delivers his final message. "I'm not sure what you'll do with this. If it'll help you face the truth, however horrible it might be? But in the rare chance that Tara doesn't pull through, or doesn't wake up, I hope this at least gives you some kind of closure. I'm sorry about how everything played out. I'm sorry I failed you. Sorry, I failed the Club." And with those last parting words, he reaches forward and a moment later the screen turns black when the video ends.
"Jesus Christ." Jax curses, barely containing his own emotions and shaking his head to himself, before his eyes meet Tara's beside him a moment later. "I'm not sure if it'll hold up in court, but ... even if it doesn't, at least we know now that it was Juice who'd killed Eli. And from the sounds of it, he was long gone before you even woke up, which means Gemma was the one who tried to kill you that second time in the hospital too, using Juice as a scapegoat."
"Yeah," Tara replies, her eyes still locked on his as she struggles to comprehend how she feels about all of this, loving the feel of his strong arm when he wraps it around her and pulls her further into his side.
At last, their eyes flicker to Wendy, and this time Jax slowly nods his head at her when he says. "Thank you."
"Yes, thank you." Tara agrees along with him.
Wendy just nods, and swallows the lump in her throat before she reaches for something besides her laptop, then holds the USB stick out to Jax to take. "I copied it for you."
Jax studies the small device in his hand for a moment before he tucks it away in his jeans pocket.
But his attention drifts back to Wendy when she speaks up. "I'm not sure what you want me to do. Do I go to the new Sheriff? Do I go to Unser? Or do nothing?" Her eyes flickered back and forth between the two, looking for their suggestion on the matter.
"I think we should talk to Lowen. Ask her." Tara speaks up, looking up at Jax to see if he agrees.
He nods. "Yeah." Then turns his attention back to Wendy once more. "We'll let you know what she says, but honestly, I've got a feeling that this video isn't good enough to use as evidence. Not without Juice to actually testify, you know, but still, I'm grateful you showed it to us."
"Yeah." Wendy nods her head too, but then feeling suddenly unsure how to approach the other subject. She nervously fidgets with her jewelry, before she looks back up at them and finally confesses. "I didn't just come up here to show you this, I wanted to ask a favor, in person."
Jax's arm around Tara tightens, already anticipating where Wendy is going with this, and despite her help, he doesn't like it anymore now than he did before.
"I know I'm not the kind of mother you are to him, Tara. And I also know that I gave up my rights to be in his life when I gave you custody of him, allowing you to adopt him. I know all that, and I'm not trying to go back on that decision. I saw how happy he is with you guys, and how much he adores his little brother, so this isn't me pushing to get him back. I swear. All I'm asking is to maybe get some pictures every now and then." She shrugs her shoulders at her own suggestions. "You know, just an email or a text? Maybe a few words on how he's doing? Like if I was his aunt, or another relative or something, that sort of thing?" Tears well up in her eyes, and she swallows hard as she searches their faces for any indication of how her request has been received.
Tara looks up at Jax though, searching his face herself to see if he agrees, glad to see him give her a subtle nod, despite the tense set of his jaw. She turns her attention back to Wendy, nodding. "I think we could do that."
"Okay. Great." Wendy sighs in relief, wiping at her eyes when a few tears escape. "Thank you."
X
A little while later, back in their apartment …
"The only decent and somewhat redeeming thing she's ever done for Abel was her giving you custody, Babe." Jax points out as he scoots beneath the covers beside Tara, slipping his arm beneath her head when she lifts it for him, then pulls her closer against him, his arm tightening around her and his nose smelling her hair when he places a kiss on the top of her head.
"I know." Tara agrees. "I wasn't disagreeing with you, Jax." She adds, wanting to finally put this discussion about Wendy to rest for tonight.
She's pulling the comforter a little higher as she snuggles against him for warmth, before she finally allows herself to completely relax in his embrace, an involuntary content little sigh escaping her lips when she exhales.
Wendy's unexpected visit, Juice's confession, and the knowledge that Abel remembers what Wendy had said, still leave a few lingering feelings that Tara hasn't completely processed just yet, but despite all of that, somehow it still turned out to be a good day in the end, because they relied on each other and got through it all together.
She can't help but remember all the ways Jax has doted on her over this weekend, it's making her feel loved, adored, and truly safe again too. The memories of all his little caresses today, combined with her pregnancy hormones, are stirring a sudden want for him in her lower abdomen.
The room is completely quiet except for the sound of their breathing for a long moment, when Tara suddenly lets her hand slip down his stomach, caressing the hard ridges of his abs along the way. The tips of her fingers teasingly trail along the waistband of his boxer briefs for just a second, before she slips her hand all the way inside and encircles the already hardening length of him, and a groan of pleasure leaves Jax's lips in response.
Her grip on him is firm when she pumps her hand along his shaft, yet her voice is so soft, almost a whisper against the bare skin of his chest, when she asks. "Just how tired are you?"
An involuntary chuckle escapes his lips, amused, aroused, and suddenly wide awake again when he answers her while starting to let his own hands roam beneath the fabric of her tank top and sleep shorts. "I think you can find the answer to that question quite literally in the palm of your hand, Babe."
Their lips found each other in a heated kiss a second later, while their hands started to undress each other just as frantically.
Sex was turning out to not only be their bridge back to each other, but also their escape from everything that might've burdened them throughout the day. The one place where they could always meet and truly let go.
Regardless of the obstacles that presented themselves during the day or night, they could always seek out and find each other again in bed. The physical connection strengthens their bond with every touch, every caress, every kiss, and every thrust.
Giving them faith that they could endure anything together, come what may. As long as they had each other, everything would work out in the end.
X
Author's Note: This chapter came together a lot easier than the last. I hope you like it enough to leave me a few words. Thank you for reading.